Reuters Health News Summary

FDA staff question efficacy of Vertex experimental CF drug in combination

FDA staff reviewers questioned whether Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental cystic fibrosis drug added any benefit over its already approved therapy, Kalydeco, in patients with the most common genetic mutation underlying the disease. Vertex is seeking approval for the combination of the compound lumacafotor and Kalydeco to treat CF patients 12 years or older with the particular mutation.

Novartis says lung cancer drug Zykadia gains EU approval

Swiss drugmaker Novartis said European health regulators have approved a drug for advanced lung cancer that is intended to treat patients with a specific genetic mutation. Zykadia, or ceritinib, is from a new class of medicines known as ALK inhibitors. It was approved in April 2014 in the United States.

Study shows measles vaccine thwarts other infectious diseases

The measles vaccine provides benefits beyond merely protecting against that highly contagious viral respiratory disease that remains a leading childhood killer in parts of the world, scientists say. By blocking the measles infection, the vaccine prevents measles-induced immune system damage that makes children much more vulnerable to numerous other infectious diseases for two to three years, a study published on Thursday found.

Hepatitis C rates jump in four central Appalachian states: CDC

Rates of hepatitis C infections more than tripled in four Appalachian states from 2006 to 2012, fueled by prescription drug abuse among those who inject drugs, especially in rural areas, U.S. health officials said on Thursday. National data show rising rates of hepatitis C virus infection across the nation, with the biggest increases among people under age 30 living in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Grocery lists may help shoppers stick to healthier diet, lower weight

(Reuters Health) - Heading to the grocery store armed with a list may make it easier to follow a healthy diet, a study of shoppers in Pittsburgh suggests. Researchers surveyed more than 1,300 mostly overweight and obese residents in two poor, primarily African American communities and found that shoppers who regularly made grocery lists also made higher quality food choices and had lower body weights.

WHO adds hepatitis C drugs to essential list, urges lower prices

The World Health Organization has added new curative treatments for hepatitis C to its essential medicines list, but the U.N. agency said prices needed to fall to make them accessible to patients in poorer countries. The treatment of hepatitis C, which affects about 150 million people globally and kills around half a million each year, has been transformed by the arrival of new drugs, such as Gilead's Sovaldi.

Deviated noses may be harder to correct than first thought

(Reuters Health) - People who have crooked, or "deviated," noses are more likely to have a face whose two sides don't quite match up either, suggests a new study from South Korea. More than half of the people with deviated noses that the researchers examined had facial asymmetry, compared to about a third of people without deviated noses.

Healthy diet tied to lower risk of cognitive decline

(Reuters Health) - Older people who eat healthy, with more fruits and vegetables, nuts and fish in their diets, may be less likely to experience declines in thinking and memory over time, according to a new international study. "It is likely that a healthy diet has effects on cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease, and that this is an important mechanism for reducing the risk of cognitive decline," said lead author Andrew Smyth of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and the National University of Ireland in Galway.

Swine flu or monkey pox? Think again on disease names, WHO says

If you're a scientist and have just identified a dangerous new disease in Peru originating from pigs then please don't call it paralytic Peruvian pig pox. Disease names like swine flu or Rift Valley fever risk stigmatizing communities and damaging economies, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday as it called for a rethink on naming new human diseases.

China hikes cigarette tax in anti-smoking drive

China is set to raise the wholesale tax rate for cigarettes to 11 percent from 5 percent, the Ministry of Finance said on Friday, in a move to deter smokers in the world's biggest maker and consumer of tobacco. China has accelerated a campaign against smoking over the past year, despite persistent opposition from the tobacco industry. Domestic and foreign anti-smoking activists say China's cigarette habit has come at a heavy cost to the healthcare system.